JTNN Onlinehttps://jhstigernews.com
The student news site of Jesuit High SchoolThu, 20 Apr 2017 17:12:57 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.1119259785Success through Virtuehttps://jhstigernews.com/2100/student-life/success-through-virtue/
Thu, 20 Apr 2017 17:12:13 +0000https://jhstigernews.com/?p=2100This year Jesuit has found much success in athletics, as we tend to do. From the football team to the bowling team, Jesuit has demonstrated persistent commitment to success. This year nothing has changed in that regard. However, we have seen some extraordinary success from two teams in particular: the Lacrosse team and the Baseball team.

This year the baseball team maintained its reputation for greatness, when it reached the number two seat in the the Florida rankings. An outstanding record, held by a consistently great team. Across the field, a different story was developing. The Lacrosse team wasn’t as renowned as the Baseball team, as the sport only recently became recognized in 2012. So, the team had to build up a reputation. And they did. The Lacrosse team has made a name for itself, taking the state by storm — being qualified as the number ten team in the entire state.

Both the Lacrosse team and the Baseball team have had outstanding season, the Lacrosse’s season only falling short of moving on the next level of competition in a tight game with Plant High School. Talking to some of the members of both teams I found that there was a common theme. To these teams success didn’t come from individual talent, vice versa, it came from a holistic approach to honor and selflessness.

The Lacrosse team has seen some change this year with a new head coach, new players, and a more specialized staff. However, it wasn’t the new additions that made a difference, but a new mind set. Brad Baker, senior midfielder, summed it up as a “connected family.” He said that the every individual is geared towards the same goal: growth. From the starters who play games to the second string that helps sharpen the starters, every individual wants to build his brother up. With a program as intertwined as that, I don’t believe there is any way that this team will ever stop producing success. On the Baseball field, the same kind of program is being ran. Drew Martin, senior pitcher, said that the difference this year comes down to “the chemistry we have as a team … we play for each other and we’re a really tight knit group of guys compared to the past.”

All in all, these teams lie on a concrete fundamentals. There success is derived from a sense of brotherhood and selflessness — virtues that build great man.

]]>2100This Year’s Baseball Team Is Pretty Goodhttps://jhstigernews.com/2087/sports/this-years-baseball-team-is-pretty-good/
Tue, 18 Apr 2017 18:13:03 +0000https://jhstigernews.com/?p=2087It comes as no surprise, but this year’s baseball team is pretty good.

Last year’s run, which featured a 24-6 record and district title, would be deemed by many as a successful season. Departing seniors like Steven Lugo and Michael Sandborn went out with a bang and left big shoes to fill for this year’s team. Although there’s a lot of talented depth on this year’s team, there were a lot of questions on how to replace stars like Lugo and Sandborn.

Fortunately, the team was gifted with the precocious, current-junior, Jack Anderson. Anderson pitched to the tune of a 0.60 ERA and propelled the team to the district title.

Now the question isn’t how this year’s team will rebuild after last year, but how far they’ll go down the stretch.

Anderson, along with seniors Price Sartor, Drew Martin, Jeff Hakanson and a superb supporting group anchor down the pitching staff. The offensive side of the ball is lead by seniors CINF/OF Tom Bencivenga, OF Duncan Hunter, C Garrett Sheppard, CINF/C Jake Jones, and INF Alex Mocny. Junior MINF McGuire Weaver has also made substantial contributions to the offense. This year’s group is confident they will make an even deeper playoff run.

Just take it from Drew Martin:

“We have a lot of guys that are really talented like we always do, but at the same time, we’ve got a lot of guys that are playing for something bigger than just themselves. It’s really become a team environment.”

The team is already 18-3 and ranked tenth in the state. Now, they’re breathing down the necks of nationally ranked teams. In fact, as of April 2, this year’s varsity team was ranked 12th in the nation.

The talent on the team is undeniable. What really strikes head coach Miguel Menendez is their chemistry.

“We definitely have a good team this year. What really separates them is how they care about each other, how they care about winning for each other. They’re built on team success not so much personal success.”

The team has undoubtedly been gaining momentum. The biggest question is how far this momentum will take them. While I can’t predict how far they’ll make it, I can say the team needs support. Tom Bencivenga agrees with me:

“We definitely need a ’10th man’ out there. The energy pumps us up and really helps our cause. We’ll need it heading forward.”

It’s safe to say these guys are pretty good. Who knows, maybe they’ll repeat their success in 2014. They definitely have the team to bring home another title.

]]>2087Kong: Skull Island Reviewhttps://jhstigernews.com/2064/opinion/kong-skull-island-review/
Thu, 06 Apr 2017 17:32:36 +0000https://jhstigernews.com/?p=2064Its 1933, New York City. The sun has just gone down and the rain is coming down hard. A man and his wife complain loudly outside the movies, “I had to pay $20 for these tickets, let me see the movie!” In 1933, $10 per ticket was a lot of money, especially when you could go see the Yankees play for just .35 cents. Why would someone spend so much money just to see a movie? Because, what else are you supposed to do in 1933 New York? Maybe climb up the Empire State Building? Nah, we can save that for the monkeys. Fast forward to 2005, when Peter Jackson was getting ready to release his newest work, King Kong. This wasn’t the first King Kong movie ever, and it certainly wasn’t the best. The numbers don’t lie. In modern money, the original King Kong outperformed the 2005 version by a long shot. But what about 2017? Recently Jordan Vogt-Roberts released his adaptation of King Kong. His title? Kong: Skull Island. The movie hosts a star cast consisting of: Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, and John C. Reilly. While the movie underperformed in domestic box office, it took off internationally, raking in almost 500 million across the globe. After the movie being remade so many times, how does it still do so good in box office?

Because, every time, it is such a good movie. This years King Kong was no different. The cinematography in the movie is beautiful, all the shots are extremely well put together. The same goes for the dialogue in the movie. But there are two major things that make this movie different than the old Kong movies. His size and the movies plot. King kong is bigger than ever before in this movie, towering at an insane 100 feet tall. Besides his height, this movies plot is a little different than the traditional King Kong movie. This time around, the U.S. is bombing his island trying to “map the earth” and it is disturbing the monsters living underneath. The movie is a constant battle between the crazed hatred of Kong from Samuel L. Jackson, and the compassion of Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson. Overall, I think the size difference and plot difference are extremely nice changes of pace from traditional Kong movies and it has me excited for what is to come.

]]>2064The Female Faculty Dress Codehttps://jhstigernews.com/2063/student-life/the-female-faculty-dress-code/
Thu, 06 Apr 2017 17:05:10 +0000https://jhstigernews.com/?p=2063When I was a sophomore, I remember my class complaining to my English teacher about some of the school’s rules. Our main debate was about facial hair and how if teachers can grow beards the students should be able to also. My teacher brought up how the male teachers may be able to grow facial hair but they have to follow the dress code (even when the seniors don’t have to). This point then brought my class and I to the topic I’m about to discuss in this article: the female teachers’ dress code.

My teacher pointed out that the women in the faculty don’t really have a dress code and can pretty much wear whatever they want. This idea has been fairly interesting to me and has stuck with me today, my second semester of senior year. Even though I’m leaving Jesuit soon and this rule doesn’t even really affect me, I want to know is there a female dress code? If so, is it implemented well?

To get to the bottom of this question, I sat down and talked with one of the female teachers to hear from her point of view. To answer the question simply, yes, there is a dress code for all students and teachers, regardless of gender. The female dress code has been in the handbook since the early dawn of Jesuit. It wasn’t until recently, last summer to be exact, that the administration decided it was time to get serious and (re)lay down the rules of the dress code. Jesuit emailed the female faculty in July to clarify what is and isn’t acceptable to wear while teaching. The teachers were fine with abiding by the rules, but the late notice did make some of them feel rushed. Had the email been sent out in the beginning of summer or even before we left for break, the teachers would’ve had actual time to shop for new clothes. They didn’t mind getting new clothes, but a better heads up would have been ideal.

This actually hasn’t been the first time this event has happened. In the early 2000s a similar occurrence happened but that time the notice was when the teachers got back in August!

In the end, the new female dress code is not that big of an issue. Most of the teachers already follow the rules of what to wear and there’s never really been any issues.

]]>2068Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Deadhttps://jhstigernews.com/2047/student-life/rosencrantz-guildenstern-are-dead/
Wed, 05 Apr 2017 13:29:14 +0000https://jhstigernews.com/?p=2047This past weekend the Jesuit High School Masque club presented its spring production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. The play is based off of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet including many underlying references to the play.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern is categorized as a tragic comedy based upon the death of the two main characters who carry the title of the play. Throughout the play, the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern watch some events unfold which are taken from Hamlet and can not comprehend why they are not included, almost as if they are watching from the outside.

Overall it is a quick paced play with a humorous twist which can pull in even some of the worst critics.

]]>2047BurgerFi vs. Five Guyshttps://jhstigernews.com/2011/showcase/burgerfi-vs-five-guys/
Mon, 03 Apr 2017 13:33:50 +0000https://jhstigernews.com/?p=2011One of the fairly new burger joints, BurgerFi, has drawn rave reviews from locals and burger fanatics everywhere. The chain, which opened its doors to Tampa in 2014, features, of course, burgers, along with hot dogs, shakes, and fresh-cut fries. Although I’ve already dined before, I decided to go to BurgerFi to compare it with another staple burger restaurant, Five Guys, which was reviewed by Noah Armenia, Rhett Broz, and Milky Doolittle.

One of the major differences between the two is BurgerFi’s atmosphere. Upon walking in, the stained-wood walls, gigantic ceiling fans, and flashy graphic-menu automatically stand out. It doesn’t feel like a traditional diner-style burger joint. Top 40 music plays while you dine, but it’s not too loud to interrupt conversation.

Similar to Five Guys, BurgerFi isn’t a sit-down restaurant. Food is ordered at the counter and delivered to your table by using one of their provided trackers. At the counter, you’re faced with a fairly basic menu. There’s the usual hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger, veggie burger, along with all their specialty sandwiches. Their most basic cheeseburger goes for about $6. Their burgers can run a little pricey if you pile on all the premium toppings like bacon, onion rings, or a fried egg. Hot dogs run close to $5 each. Fries must be ordered separately, and range from $3.60-$7 for a regular, large, or bucket size. All said and done I paid just over $14 for a regular cheeseburger, regular fries with garlic aioli and parmesan (+$.97), and a drink. Not expensive, but not that cheap either.

My food was brought to my table within minutes. At first glance, everything looked great. The ‘BurgerFi’ stamp on the bun definitely stood out, and the aioli dressing on the fries caught my attention. Although I only ordered a single burger, I was a bit surprised at how small it actually was. Despite feeling a bit cheated given how much I paid, the food itself was very tasty and certainly stood out as a Five Guys competitor.

The fries were the best part, in my opinion. BurgerFi already had crispy, tasty fries, but the aioli-parmesan add on definitely set it apart. I thought the burger was good, above average in fact, but it didn’t set itself apart. I thought their advertised “BurgerFi sauce” was a bit overrated considering it tasted like they barely put any on the sandwich. Nonetheless, the burger and fries were quite tasty, and I would definitely go back.

But…

Between the two, I’d probably take Five Guys. I liked eating in BurgerFi more, but for the price, Five Guys gives you more for your money. What might tip the scale is BurgerFi’s milkshakes. But, if I were to add one to my meal, I would pay close to $20, which, to me, is way too much for a burger and fries.

If BurgerFi were just a bit cheaper, I would go there instead of Five Guys. But for now, the food is too similar for me to prefer BurgerFi over Five Guys.

]]>2011Halo Wars 2: Better Than the First?https://jhstigernews.com/1989/opinion/halo-wars-2-better-than-the-first/
Mon, 27 Mar 2017 17:51:09 +0000https://jhstigernews.com/?p=1989So far, yes, yes it is better than the first. After playing the basic but informative tutorial, I was launched into the campaign, sort of. The first mission or two of the campaign is basically a more detailed version of the tutorial. In fact, the majority of the campaign feels like a step by step tutorial for the game. With the introduction of the new game comes the introduction of a new game type, blitz. If you’ve ever played CLash Royal, or Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, or Hearthstone, you know how this game mode works. It is an RTS (Real time strategy) mode where players go into it with a deck of cards to choose from. The game mode plays very well and is a welcome addition to the new game. However, the campaign barely prepares you for this despite it being one of the main focuses of the game.

Despite that, I thought the campaign was very well put together and I personally enjoyed the storyline and thought it was well developed. Yet, the game does not come without its problems. Right out of the game I had trouble successfully even launching the game. I had to restart several times because of crashes. 343 Industries has acknowledged this problem and claims to be working towards a fix. Once I got the game working, I really enjoyed it. The cutscenes are very well put together and they make the story feel real and meaningful. It doesn’t feel like a backdrop to the game but instead it is more like the game is focused around the campaign. Once cutscenes are finished, the game sort of goes into a hybrid between a cutscene and actual gameplay. I absolutely can not stand when it does this. The graphics in the “cutscene” are horrific and are much worse than actual gameplay graphics or cutscene renderings. I believe keeping this transitional phase as a cutscene rendering would’ve looked much better and allowed for more immersion into the game.

Overall, I feel like 343 Industries fixed a lot of problems/lack of content that the original Halo Wars came with. The introduction of the Blitz game mode gives the game a high amount of replay ability, allowing people to get their $60 worth from the game. In the end, if my account became compromised and I had to buy the game again, would I? Yes, yes I would. I personally believe the game is worth $60. However, I’m not sure that goes for everyone and I think the game would be much more appealing to other people around the $45 price tag.

]]>1989March Madness: Final Fourhttps://jhstigernews.com/2000/sports/__trashed-2/
Thu, 23 Mar 2017 17:40:25 +0000https://jhstigernews.com/?p=2000Have you realized that while the NCAA tournament starts in March, the tournament actually ends in April? Fun fact for y’all.

As March is coming to an end, so too is the yearly 64 team NCAA basketball tournament. We have seen many blowouts, big upsets, and down-to-the wire games where a single shot decided the fate for a team and their season. From this intense battle zone, four teams have emerged and have proven to us that their are the most elite teams in the NCAA. Some of these teams were expected to make it this far while other big named teams failed to live up to the hype and were conquered earlier on in the tournament.

One thing for sure, though, is that South Carolina absolutely ruined this tournament and all brackets. Never would I have ever guessed that a 7th seeded team would beat #4 Florida Gators, #3 Baylor Bears, and #2 Duke Blue Devils. While the Gamecocks deserved to move forward to the Elite 8 after blowing out Baylor 70-50, I feel like luck is very much on the side of the Gamecocks. They were down against the Blue Devils and the Gators, but used their defence and intense physicality to rally back and secure the dub. Congrats to all Gamecock fans, though, since this is the first time that they are in the Final Four.

The Gamecocks are up against the #1 Gonzaga Bulldogs. The Bulldogs, being the number one seed, have played lower seeded teams and have relatively breezed past all their competition. Their closest game was against the #4 West Virginia Mountaineers with the final score being 61-58. While the Gamecocks have been having a great postseason, they are going to have to overcome the nigh-impossible. ESPN is giving the Bulldogs an 88% to win.

The other game is between the #1 North Carolina Tar Heels and the #3 Oregon Ducks. Personally, I am not a fan of either of the teams so I don’t really care who wins, but since they are in the Final Four, they get to be talked about as well. UNC advanced to the Final Four after narrowly winning against #2 Kentucky Wildcats with Luke Maye scoring the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds remaining. The Ducks are going to have a difficult time winning this game since they lost Chris Boucher in the beginning of the postseason, but have been showing that they are still dangerous after blowing out fan-favorites #1 Kansas Jayhawks in the Elite Eight. This has been the first time Oregon has gone to the Final Four since 1939.

While I don’t care about any of the remaining teams playing in the tournament, I can promise you that the final 3 games will not disappoint. These teams have proven that they are the best, and I am certain that none of the teams will fall without a good fight. I wouldn’t mind seeing a few more buzzer-beaters, but I am adamant about Gonzaga destroying the Gamecocks. I hate big upsets, so I want to see South Carolina get blasted haha.

]]>2000La La Land: a bias reviewhttps://jhstigernews.com/1929/opinion/la-la-land-a-bias-review/
Wed, 01 Mar 2017 15:48:37 +0000https://jhstigernews.com/?p=1929This movie was filled to the brim with extreme magical realism, and it isn’t shy about. In fact, this movie thrives on it’s outlandish, fabulous world of cinematic magic — as the opening sequence will demonstrate. I’ve never seen a movie start of with such a BANG — granted I am only seventeen, and I haven’t seen all that many movies. Regardless, it’s opening sequence is pure kinetic pizazz. It is the quintessence of what you think a musical is. It grabs you by the collar and says, “ Look at me. I am Fabulous! “ The music, the dancing, the colors. They are so engrossing, so amazing. And then, like the flick of a switch, the scene ends with a triumphant introduction of the title: La La Land.

This flamboyant, fantastic tone is prominent right from the beginning, and remains for the entire film. The movie is fast and color full. When it expresses an emotion it does so to the furthest extreme. At times, it may seem ridiculous but it’s not. You shouldn’t think that because this movie is perfect, and I will find you. Nevertheless, let’s play devil’s advocate. There is a scene within the movie where Mia (a struggling actress) and Sebastian (a pianist, also struggling) dance across the universe. I mean that in the most literal sense possible. Within this movie about making it as an artist in LA, there is an intergalactic sequence and they aren’t wearing helmets. Let that sink in. However, this sequence is one of the most compelling within the whole movie. It emphatically brings the story to triumphant climax. And that is the beauty of this film.

This film never tries to tell a convincing story. It never attempts to emulate reality. Vice versa, it goes out of this way to break the barriers of reality and tell a story through emotions. The film even goes as far as encompassing the most common romance tropes, and it does so consciously. For example, Mia says to Sebastian, “we keep running into each other,” and sebastian replies, “ You think it means something.” Mia nonchalantly responds, “no.” The movie uses these tropes as a vessel to explore the difficulties of fulfilling your dreams and sacrificing part of yourself for something you love. It is extremely colorful and happy, like a cliche romance film. Yet, it uses that as the canvas through which darker, more real elements of humanity can be explored. So, when the film reaches an impactful conclusion, it earns a cathartic reaction.

La La Land adopts the tropes that make up blockbuster cinema, and then completely flips them upside down. It is ridiculously imaginative. It is fun. It is impactful. And it is real.